Crew Stops Fire From Spreading On 19,000-TEU Maersk Ship Off Liberia

The crew of Maersk’s ultra-large container ship Marie Maersk managed to contain a fire that broke out on board while the vessel was sailing off the Liberian coast last week, the company confirmed.

The incident began on Wednesday morning, 13 August 2025, when smoke was detected coming from containers on the vessel. At the time, the Danish-flagged ship was en route from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia.

Maersk said the crew immediately began firefighting and kept the situation under control. The company confirmed that all crew members remain safe and that the vessel is stable, with its machinery, steering, and navigation systems working normally.

Over the weekend, the crew’s continuous firefighting stopped the blaze from spreading. In recent days, four external assets, including three tugboats and an offshore supply vessel with firefighting systems, arrived to support the operation.

The company added that firefighting efforts are expected to intensify once external firefighters are able to board Marie Maersk and take over part of the operation, giving some relief to the ship’s crew.

Maersk also said the vessel is being diverted to a port of refuge, which is still being considered, so that landside support can be secured quickly. Its Crisis Response Team is in constant contact with the crew to provide guidance and assistance.

For now, the impact on the cargo remains uncertain. Due to the conditions inside the affected cargo bays, Maersk said it is not yet possible to confirm the extent of the damage. When asked about the contents of the affected containers, the company said that this will only be investigated once the fire has been fully extinguished.

The Marie Maersk, built in 2013, sails under the Danish flag and has a carrying capacity of 19,076 TEU. It operates on the Gemini Cooperation’s Asia–Europe AE4 service.

Reference: Reuters

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